The Real Reddington
by DukeofReddington
Summary: **Lizzington Fic** Future-tense. Post-Berlin. Red and Lizzie are at a Xmas Party and Red is nervous for the first time in his life.. One-shot...


Be Nice! Its my first Fic. Im not the best writer but here goes nothing ! This story was stuck in my head for 3 days !

**Disclaimer: I Do Not Own Any Rights to The Blacklist or it's characters...I own NOTHING. Thank you Ashton for the proof reading!

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It was in the middle of December, Red and Liz were attending the annual holiday party. One of Liz's friends always threw a Christmas party every year at an really extravagant ballroom at hotel in DC .

It had been almost two years since Red walked into her life, and a month shy of a year since their relationship became intimate. They loved every minute of it. Red couldn't think of a time that he'd been happier.

It was about half way through the party, and Red and Liz were sitting at a table with some of her friends.

After getting to know some of them and having a few dances with Liz, Red excused himself.

As Liz watched him walk away, she thought to herself, _something is off about him today. _But she just ignored that niggling feeling and turned back to her friends.

Walking into a changing room near to the venue, Red started to change his clothes. He took of his fedora and start to take off his tie. He knew there was no turning back now.

After a few minutes, Dembe quietly walked in the room to check on his friend. He found Red just standing there with his back toward him.

Red stared into the full length mirror, mesmerized.

After 20 years getting to know him, Dembe knew he was nervous, but he gave an encouraging smile to Red through the mirror.

It was the first time in years that he wore his dress blues; from his cap, to all of the medals he earned.

He remembered his military days like it was yesterday….

_The wide opens seas with no land in sight for miles. The worthy men who were under his command. _

_Standing at the helm and feeling the spray of the sea on his face._

All so vivid...

_Captain Reddington..._

_Such Heaven..._

...But then there's Lizzie. _His Lizzie._

It had been almost two years since he entered her life and turned her world upside down. He thought back to the first night they made love. It was indescribable to him.

Still gazing into the mirror, Red recalled that night vividly...

_Lizzie came to him after Red took a bullet for her earlier that day. One of Berlin's hitmen made an attempt to kill her and failed miserably._

_After the incident, he was attempting to clean and change the bandage on his arm when she quietly entered his bedroom._

_Nothing was said..._

_Liz removed his hands and took over re-bandaging his stitches. Red couldn't keep his eyes off her. The way the moonlight hit her was breath-taking..._

_She was the definition of Beauty._

_Finished with the dressing, she looked up at him. At that moment he knew she saw the real Raymond Reddington. The man that was in so in love with her._

_He cupped her cheek softly with his hand as his lips met hers._

_The warmth of her lips, her soft skin, her mind, and her soul were all his; As he was all hers._

_The kiss became more and more passionate until they both ended up under the covers in each other's arms._

_His hands were everywhere on her magnificent form, wanting to explore all of her. As she gave in to her moment of ecstasy, He came soon after and moaned her name surrendering his soul to her. "Lizzie…." They made love many times into the early morning hours._

_As she fell asleep on his chest, feeling his warmth around her, Liz kissed him and said," I love you, Red"_

_His heart swelled. "I love you Lizzie, more than I am capable of expressing."_

That night was not just about release, but a joining of two souls together, forever as one.

"Are you ready Raymond?" Uttered Dembe, standing in front of the closed door behind him.

Bringing him back to reality, Red cleared his throat and shook his head looking at him through the mirror,"Ready as I will ever be, my friend."

Red turned around and faced Dembe and gave his best "Reddington" smirk. Dembe saw right through it.

Red realizing this, turned back to the mirror one more time, seeing both of their reflections. He glanced at the floor and back up to their reflections.

Red closed his eyes for a moment and let out a breath before he spoke reassuring himself.

"She's worth it. She is everything to me."

Putting a reassuring hand on his right shoulder, "I know. I see the way you both look at one another.I think you found your soul mate Raymond, if it's not too bold to say?" asked Dembe.

Red nodded and turned to fully face the mirror at an attempt for final inspection of his uniform.

Red re-adjusted his hat. "But now the question is, does she feel the same as well?" he said with a bit of worry.

Walking back to the door, Dembe held the door open for Red. "I guess you will find out." Dembe said smirking at him.

As Red walked out into the hallway towards the entrance of the party Dembe said "You will do fine Raymond, just be yourself." Red smiled nervously acknowledging him and nodded in agreement.

As Red approached the entrance, he noticed some of the hotel guests stopping and looking at him with warm whispering to others to look wondering what might happen.

He smiled but continued on to the task at hand.

Just as he reached the door, Dembe stopped him. "Wait here until I open the door."

Red stood back as Dembe slipped through the double doors.

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One the other side of the door, Lizzie was still at the table becoming more anxious.

She wasn't listening to her friend's conversations any longer. She hoped Red was alright.

Panning the ballroom, she saw people chatting at tables across the floor, others were on the dance floor having a great time.

When she glanced over at the door, her eyes met with Dembe's. She gave him a questioning/worried look.

As if he read her mind, Dembe winked at her signaling everything was fine.

He mouthed to her, 'Merry Christmas'. He then turned to open the doors.

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Waiting on the other side of the door, Red overheard a female employee say to another, " There's just something about a man in uniform.."

Red smirked and shook his head. That is the one thing Red never understood about women.

_'What makes them go crazy whenever they see a man in uniform?'_

Just as that thought crossed his mind, the doors opened and his question was answered.

Liz's reaction was priceless. She was shocked and beginning to smile, as he entered the ballroom. She was nearly on the verge of tears. _Forever burned into his memory._

Liz didn't realize she was standing until she began walking quickly towards Red. As soon as she reached him, she wrapped her arms around him as the tears began to flow down her cheeks. As Red moved them further way from the doorway into the ballroom, party goers stopped to see what was going on. They we now alone in the middle of the dance floor with crowd that started to form around them.

By now, Dembe was already at the DJ booth requesting the song Raymond wanted to play. The DJ nodded and began to play it.

_"Caught in the Riptide, I was searching for the truth. There was a reason why I collided into you..." _ As the song continued...

Red released Liz just enough to look at her as he held her hands in his.

"Lizzie, for years I have been Raymond 'Red' Reddington, 'the Concierge of Crime'. I've seen men shake with fear at the very sight of me. Other women just saw Reddington, the evil, cunning criminal they wanted to bed. I thought for the longest time that I would never find the love I've craved since the loss of my family…..I even gave up; but then...then you happened, Lizzie."

_'It's now or never,'_ Red thought.

"I tried so hard to stay away from you, to not ruin the life you had, even though it was all a lie. There was nothing I could do without thinking of you. It was hard to try and let you go. I figured if I just saw you once in person it would be enough to diminish those feelings. It wasn't. My feelings for you just deepened and I knew then that I was forever under your spell."

The crowd began to fade away into the background for them. Red's face was within inches of hers as he continued...

"When you look at me, I know you see the real me. The_ real_ Raymond Reddington. You see the man that is before you. The man that you have come to know, the man that once wore this uniform. No matter what was said about me, you looked right through all of that and captured every essence of me...this is the real Red you cry out for in your moment of such ecstasy. I know there is not another person on this earth who knows me like you do, who loves me inside and out like you. There is no one who was ever capable of capturing my heart and soul as you have..."

Pausing, Red took a moment to gauge her reaction; she was entranced. He had prepared himself for this moment for a long time. He looked down at their hands then back up into her eye as they started to fill with tears, understanding everything he was saying.

"Now I would like to fore-fill a promise I made to Sam in his last moments, if you would permit me? " Red asked, as he smiled at her.

Lizzie nodded her head, Unable to find her voice.

"I love you Elizabeth, I can promise you I will love you, protect you, and cherish you like no other man can. Will you do me the honor..."

Red paused and gently took off his hat while he slowly got down on one knee while holding her left hand in his right.

The crowd full of her friends waited with anticipation.

Red looked up at her holding up a small box with a ring.

"Will you marry me, Lizzie? " Red asked

The crowd started to get loud only to be hushed back down...

Lizzie let the tears flow as her right hand came up to cover her mouth as she smiled with excitement.

"I love you, Red. Yes!...Yes I will ! "

The crowd went crazy and started cheering and whistling.

At that, Liz bent down and cupped Red's face with her free hand and kissed him passionately. Red kissed her back with the same passion, then gently broke the kiss to place the ring on her finger. The most beautiful diamond she had ever seen. She wished more than anything that her father was there, but she knew he was watching over her..._over them now_. The image of that made her forget her sorrow as a smile spread over her face.

After Red stood looking handsome as ever, he embraced his new fiancé and gave her a quick kiss her once more. He pulled away and glanced over at Dembe, who was beaming with joy and clapping along with the crowd. Dembe turned and gave a 'thumbs up' to the photographer he hired specifically for the engagement.

Red just shook his head in amusement and looked back at Liz. She smiled up at him and cupped his face in her hands as he wrapped his arms around her waist holding her hips. They began to dance with the other couples around them.

Dembe watched Red and Liz wrapped up in each other on the dance floor as they began their new lives together.

He's couldn't wait for them to start a new chapter in their lives as Mr. and Mrs. Reddington.


End file.
